Amy and Judge Joseph Costello

Amy (Cronenwett) Costello (MCCC 1977) and Judge Joseph Costello (MCCC 1976) have established the Amy and Judge Joseph Costello Scholarship. The scholarship was previously known as the Saverio Costello Memorial Scholarship which was started in 1994 by Judge Costello while he was serving as an adjunct instructor at Monroe County Community College. Judge Costello stated at that time, “My grandfather, an immigrant from Sicily in 1913, and my parents, were the most significant factors in encouraging me to further my education, and I wanted to honor my grandfather’s memory with this scholarship.”

Amy and Joe met at the Monroe County Community College in 1976 and were married in May of 1981. Our college has always been special to them, often describing the college as the “jewel of the county.”

Amy Costello graduated from Airport Community Schools as the Valedictorian of her class in 1976. She was a dual-enrolled student at the Monroe County Community College where she earned her Associate of Science degree in 1977. She attended Eastern Michigan University from 1978-1980, earning a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She earned her Masters degree in Behavioral Psychology from Eastern Michigan University in 1991. She worked as a Behavioral Psychologist for Monroe County and Lenawee County Community Mental Health from 1991 to 1995, and Erie Mason Schools from 1995-1999 as an at-risk counselor, establishing the Eagle Buddies mentoring program at the school. Thereafter, Ms. Costello served as a high school counselor at Ida Public Schools from 1999 until her retirement in 2015. She promoted dual enrollment opportunities with the high school and the Monroe County Community College. Ms. Costello was instrumental in establishing the Ida Early Middle College.

Judge Costello graduated from St. Mary Catholic Central in 1974. He attended the Monroe County Community College from 1974-1976 where he earned an Associate of Arts degree. He attended the University of Michigan where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Secondary Teaching Certificate in 1978. He attended the Detroit College of Law (now known as the Michigan State University School of Law) and earned his Juris Doctorate in 1982, graduating as the Vice-President of his class. He practiced law with the Hon. Jack Vitale before taking a position as an associate lawyer of the law firm of Czeryba, Dulany, & Godfroy. In 1984 he was elected to the Monroe County Community College Board of Trustees, helping to select the second President of the college, Mr. Gerald Welch. In November of 1985 he was appointed at the age of 29 by Governor James Blanchard to the Monroe County Probate Court where he served until being elected to the 38th Circuit Court in 1996. In 2010 Judge Costello spearheaded the effort to amend the law on Personal Protection Orders, through the assistance and sponsorship of the late Kate Ebli, State Representative, to add the Sexual Assault Personal Protection Order, passing the Michigan Legislature with an 100% vote of approval. He was present when Governor Jeniifer Granholm signed the bill into law. In 2011 he received the Pro Bono Award from the Legal Services of Southeastern Michigan, as well as the Justinian Award from the Italian American Bar Association of Michigan. He served in the Circuit Court until April 2012 until he accepted the position of Chief Assistant Prosecutor under the Hon. William P. Nichols and retired in May of 2015. During his tenure as the Chief Assistant Prosecutor, he successfully prosecuted a 40-year-old serial murder case resulting in three convictions for Second Degree Murder. For this accomplishment he received an Award of Professional Excellence from the Michigan State Police. Judge Costello retired from Siena Heights University in December 2021 as an Associate Professor in Criminal Justice after five years of teaching.

Judge Costello was named the Alumnus of the Year for St. Mary Catholic Central in 1995. He was a charter member of the Alumni Board at the Monroe County Community College from 1992-1998. In 1997, the Monroe County Community College Board of Trustees named him the first Alumnus of the Year of the college. He was appointed to the Foundation at Monroe County Community College serving from 1999-2007, and again in 2010. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Monroe, the Lenawee County Chapter of the NAACP, the Monroe County Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan, the Italian American Bar Association of Michigan, and the Retired Michigan Judges Association.